PORT AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $200 MILLION APPROVED FOR INVESTMENTS IN PROJECTS AT FOUR AIRPORTS

This Year to Nearly $1.5 Billion, with Creation of More Than 5,000 Jobs

Travelers at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s four commercial airports will benefit from more than $200 million worth of infrastructure investments that will improve the movement of planes, passengers and baggage, helping to reduce airport delays while creating more than 500 construction-related jobs, under measures approved by the agency’s Board.

These projects bring the bi-state agency’s total 2011 authorized investment in aviation projects to $1.47 billion, with anticipated creation of more than 5,100 jobs.

Newark Liberty International Airport’s busiest runway, 4R-22L, will undergo a state-of-good-repair rehabilitation, which will include a new asphalt base on the 2-mile-long airstrip and electrical system work. This $42 million project also will include work on two new high-speed taxiways with new lighting and the realignment of two other taxiways to move planes more efficiently between runways and gates and reduce waits for passengers.

These projects will create approximately 270 jobs, while creating $15 million in wages and $64 million in overall economic activity.

Also at Newark Liberty, the Board approved a new 25-year lease with Continental Airlines Inc. on a three-acre parcel for the development and operation of a new wide-body aircraft maintenance hangar. Continental has agreed to invest at least $25 million in the hangar, while the project overall is expected to result in 210 jobs, $12 million in wages and $52 million in overall economic activity.

The Port Authority also committed $19.9 million to a terminal expansion at Stewart International Airport that will increase the facility’s size by more than 30,000 square feet and allow Stewart to eventually handle more than one million domestic passengers annually. The expansion creates a separate area for international passengers to be processed by Federal Customs and Border Protection Agents. Currently, domestic operations need to be suspended to accommodate planned international flights or those diverted to Stewart due to inclement weather elsewhere.

The expansion is expected to create approximately 120 jobs, including 50 construction-related jobs, with $33 million in economic activity over the project’s three-year span.

Port Authority Commissioners also authorized the agency to help offset nearly $74 million worth of expenditures at John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports to install in-line baggage screening systems to improve the efficiency of U.S. Transportation Security Administration operations.

“The investments in Newark Liberty, JFK, LaGuardia and Stewart airports will create hundreds of construction jobs and boost economic activity for decades to come,’’ said Port Authority Chairman David Samson. “These airports serve as gateways to the region, and are critical to maintaining the region as a vibrant center of commerce and business activity.”

“Expanding Stewart Airport’s terminal is another major step toward the long-term development of this facility into a vibrant regional airport for passengers and cargo,” said Pat Foye, the Port Authority’s Executive Director. “This latest investment continues the ongoing enhancement of Stewart, the airport where ‘you’re home when you land’.”

“Our airports are one of the region’s biggest economic engines, and these investments today clearly show the Port Authority’s resolve to keep making improvements,’’ said Bill Baroni, the agency’s Deputy Executive Director. “The jobs totals from these projects and our total aviation investments speak volumes: We are helping to keep construction activity going in the New Jersey/New York region.”

“As operator of one of the world’s busiest airport systems, we recognize the importance of continued investment to make our airports as safe, reliable and efficient as possible,” Port Authority Aviation Director Susan M. Baer said. “Today’s announcement is a win for everyone, because it reinforces our commitment to our customers, strengthens our competitive position in the global marketplace, and puts people in this region to work.”

Among other major Port Authority aviation projects authorized this year are:

With the 2014 Super Bowl slated for New Jersey, the agency announced an agreement with Host Hotels & Resorts, the owner of the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott, to drive a multimillion-dollar renovation project that will create more than 250 jobs and generate $60 million in economic activity.

Also in connection with improvements at Newark Liberty ahead of the 2014 Super Bowl, agency commissioners approved a lease extension with Signature Flight Support Corp. and a new first-class lounge for Virgin Atlantic Airlines. The two board actions will mean improved access for private plane passengers and economic growth at Newark Liberty International Airport with the creation of 80 jobs and nearly $15 million in private investment.

$6 million in planning for the future rehabilitation, extension and widening of Runway 4L-22R at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The work will generate 130 jobs and $8.1 million in wages.

A $44.8 million project for the rehabilitation and widening of Taxiway P at JFK to maintain a state of good repair and eliminate certain Federal Aviation Administration restrictions currently in place concerning new large aircraft operations. The project will create 280 jobs and generate $74.5 million in economic activity.

A $20 million project for the rehabilitation and widening of Taxiway C at JFK. The project could generate 120 jobs and $32 million in economic activity.

A lease with Federal Express Corporation for approximately 10.1 acres of paved open area for use as a tractor-trailer staging area to support FedEx cargo operations at Newark Liberty International Airport.

$1.5 million for planning associated with the construction of a foam arrestor safety bed for Runway 11 at Newark Liberty. The project is expected to generate 60 jobs and $14 million in economic activity.

$2.5 million in planning for the rehabilitation of Runway 9-27 and Runway 16-34 at Stewart International Airport to maintain them in a state of good repair. The project is expected to generate 870 jobs and $221 million in economic activity.

A third light-weight, concrete pavement system designed to improve plane safety on runways will be installed at Teterboro Airport. The $27.1 million Engineered Material Arrestor System (EMAS) will be installed at the southwestern end of Runway 6/24 at Teterboro by mid-2013, a project that will create an estimated 110 jobs and $28 million in economic activity while improving safety.

CONTACT:

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Ron Marsico (212) 435-7777

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which does not receive tax dollars from either state, operates many of the busiest and most important transportation links in the region. They include John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, Stewart International and Teterboro airports; AirTrain JFK and AirTrain Newark; the George Washington Bridge and Bus Station; the Lincoln and Holland tunnels; the three bridges between Staten Island and New Jersey; the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid-transit system; Port Newark; the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal; the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island; the Brooklyn Piers/Red Hook Container Terminal; the Port Authority-Port Jersey Marine Terminal and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan. The agency also owns the 16-acre World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan